


Absence Makes the Heart Grow

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Feelings, Holding Hands, Overcoming Prejudices, Past Racism, Presumed Dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25183930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Dedue returns after being presumed dead for five years. Ingrid, who has missed them more than she'll allow herself to let on, realizes something has changed between them despite their being apart for so long.
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Dedue Molinaro
Kudos: 24
Collections: Trope Bingo: Round Fifteen





	Absence Makes the Heart Grow

She wasn't surprised to hear Dedue had sacrificed his life for Dimitri, but it didn't hurt any less to hear it. Dimitri wasn't the only one who missed him; Ashe mourned openly, Felix kept insisting he didn't care, she'd caught Sylvain shedding a tear now and then, and Mercedes prayed for his soul.

Ingrid wasn't sure what to do with her feelings. Dedue had saved her life more times than she could count, and she'd been colder to him than he deserved. No matter what the true story was, Dedue Molinaro as a person was not responsible for the deaths of Glenn or King Lambert or countless others. Dimitri trusted him, Ashe adored him, Sylvain believed in Duscur's innocence, and the more Ingrid talked to or worked with him the more she could see _why_.

They'd gotten a little closer in the days leading up to the battle five years ago. Mostly training together, but one day he'd brought her a meal he'd made just for her after a long day of training and he'd turned as red as a tomato when she thanked him and complimented his skills.

She wished she'd had more time to let him get used to hearing what a remarkable person he was. He'd died to protect the person he cherished the most because he didn't think his life was worth more than that.

_But it was, Dedue. If you could only see what a mess he is without you._

And _she_ missed him. She, Ingrid Brandl Galatea, missed Dedue, and she felt selfish. Her grief was nothing compared to what Dimitri was feeling right now, or even Ashe or Sylvain. But she missed him, and she didn't feel right talking to anyone about it, even the professor.

So she kept her feelings quiet and focused on trying to help her friends.

They'd just started their assault on the bridge when she heard the clank of armor below her, and before she could fly lower for the attack she heard it. _My apologies for being late. Your highness, please allow me to help._ Dimitri's cry of shock, the professor's immediate order for him to take out the soldier guarding the fortress's rear, the sheen of his raised axe.

_He's here. It's really him._ She flew to his side to help him out immediately, just as he'd done for her in the past, and they exchanged a brief smile before returning to the fray.

It was late in the evening when she found him alone in the greenhouse, his favorite place, tending to the flowers the professor had planted earlier in the month. Her heart pounding, she slowly approached him.

"Hey."

"Ingrid." He stood up, dusting the soil from his hands; up close and away from the heat of battle she could see the scars on his face and the world-weary gaze he wore. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd gone through in the past five years just to be here. "Was there something you needed from me?"

"No, I...just wanted to see you," she said, twisting her fingers in the fabric of her skirt and shuffling her feet. "You're alive. I mean, that's not what I wanted to say! Obviously you know you're alive, I..." _I missed you, as happy as I was to be back and see everyone else again, it wasn't the same without you._ "How did you find your way back here?"

"My brothers," he said. "The rebels of Duscur we helped save five years ago."

"I remember," she murmured, her cheeks flushed with momentary shame. Back then, she'd still believed Duscur had it coming for their supposed crimes and only taken part in the mission because the professor had asked her to. That was before she'd gotten to know Dedue, before she began to reconsider her stance and look past her own grief over a man who wouldn't want her to hate one person for an incident he wasn't even involved in. "I'm grateful to them, then." Dedue looked away, his own cheeks going red.

"Yes...so am I."

"Dimitri seems glad you're back, too. I mean, it's the first time I've seen him even close to a real smile since our Academy days," she said. "And...well..." She trailed off, feeling shy. She'd never felt shy around him before, just awkward and uncomfortable and guilty. Right now felt closer to the first time she'd properly met Glenn, how even at the tender age of six she knew she could get to like him despite his bad manners and cocky smile.

Something had changed over the last five years without her realizing it.

"Ingrid?" He moved closer to her, holding out his hand, and she took it, her eyes prickling.

"I'm glad you're back. Dimitri isn't the only one who's missed you," she said quietly. "When I heard you were dead, I regretted that I wouldn't have more chances to get to know you. And now that you're here, I...would like those chances. That is, if you want them." Again, she felt selfish, she'd been so focused on her own feelings but Dedue hadn't exactly been comfortable either. "It's okay if you'd rather-"

"Ingrid." He squeezed her hand, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as he laced his fingers through hers. "I would be honored to pick up where we left off." For a split second it looked like he was blushing, too, and Ingrid smiled, relief flooding her.

"Train with me tomorrow?"

"I would be glad to."

Even when he eventually let go of her hand, she could still feel the warmth of his hours after.


End file.
